Rich Tomato Sauce – Only THREE Ingredients
With only THREE ingredients, this rich tomato sauce recipe is easy to make yet tastes like you are in a fine Italian restaurant. Grab an onion, a can of tomatoes, and some butter (yes, butter!), and let’s go! Dinner will be ready in under an hour.
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Going meatless for a few meals a week is easy with recipes like this rich tomato pasta sauce. Other vegetarian recipes you might enjoy include this walnut bolognese and this sweet potato egg casserole. Check out all of our meatless recipes for more inspiration.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This one is super simple, friends! You are so close to this authentic Italian tomato sauce from scratch with ease.
- You can customize it how you like. You can add meat, more spices, etc. It is a great clean-slate recipe.
- Dinner is made in under an hour. It is a fantastic choice if you are searching for meat-free meals for families.
Ingredients
Find the complete ingredient list, with measurements, in the recipe card below.
- Canned Tomatoes – You will need a 28-ounce can. Choose San Marzano, if possible.
- Onion – One whole large onion.
- Butter – We use salted butter, but both work well.
Yes, that is some butta!
Chefs have been adding full-on whipping cream to your restaurant pasta, so what’re a few pats of butter spread in to four servings?
This sauce has a creamy flavor that is reminiscent of pasta my BFF used to make when we were roomies. She trained as a chef, so naturally, it contained the ever-popular whipping cream. With just that amount of butter, a real silkiness was achieved.
Expert Tip!
Based on what I’ve experienced firsthand, plum tomatoes are the best for sauce. If you can get San Marzano, I recommend those. San Marzano, Italy, is home to these deep red, plum-type tomatoes for that rich tomato sauce used in Italian cooking.
It will taste like that old-fashioned Italian spaghetti sauce you are craving.
- This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.
- Contains at least 95% organic material.
Equipment
Large Sauce Pot – We always use a large stainless steel pot for this recipe.
- This stainless steel stockpot is designed for every cooktop - gas, induction, or halogen stovetops.
- Heavy-duty yet suitable for all of your everyday cooking needs.
Instructions
This is an outline of the process with step by step images. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the FULL recipe details.
Step 1
First, into the large pot goes those plum tomatoes, onion, and butter—an effortless trio.
Step 2
Then, stir and bring the pot to a bubbling simmer over medium-high heat.
The butter will melt, and the onion starts to soften.
Turn the heat down to a low simmer and let cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, breaking up the tomato pieces, and leaving the halved onion intact.
This is when the magic happens. 🙂
Step 3
After the 45 minutes is up, discard the onion, season with salt and black pepper, if desired, and keep warm while you start on your pasta of choice. It is that simple.
Recipe Variations
- Add in some spice to give this sauce some zing. We love using chilli flakes aka red pepper flakes.
- Incorporating herbs like fresh basil leaves, fresh parsley, or oregano will bring a garden-fresh element to the sauce. Perfect for summer months when you have a ton of herbs.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with your favorite pasta like spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni. Add meatballs for a more substantial dish.
- Portion into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. We recommend fresh parmesan. You can grate it like usual or use the tiny holes on the grater to create fluffy “snowy” parmesan, which melts beautifully into the warm sauce.
- This marinara sauce could also be used for pizza. On busy weeknights, we make this super easy tortilla pizza.
- If you are watching your carbohydrates intake, serve it with spaghetti squash instead.
FAQS
As mentioned above, San Marzano tomatoes are the gold standard for sauce, but other top choices include plum tomatoes and Viva Italia.
Add a pinch of sugar and taste again until it reaches your desired balance.
Storage Tips
To Store: Transfer cooled leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Place the airtight container in the freezer and store it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
This recipe is adapted from Marcela Hazan. Her cookbook is a classic!
“If this were the only cookbook you owned, neither you nor those you cooked for would ever get bored.” —Nigella Lawson
More Vegetarian Recipes
**This recipe was originally posted on May 15, 2013, updated on February 23, 2020, and updated again on February 16, 2025, with recipe notes, writing, and new photos.**
If you’ve tried this three-ingredient homemade tomato sauce recipe, please give me a rating and let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment below. I’m always interested in feedback!
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Rich Tomato Sauce – Only THREE Ingredients
Ingredients
- 28 oz. can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion peeled and halved
- 2-3 good pinches of sea salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a saucepot and bring to a bubbling simmer.
- Turn the heat down and let simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, breaking up tomatoes with the back of the spoon.
- Discard the onion and serve the sauce over your pasta of choice.
Oops! You forgot to ‘Honour’ Marcella Hazan for this recipe.
Did I? Maybe you missed the shout out and link to her cookbook? Have a great weekend, Jo. Thanks for visiting.
Suggestion: San Marzano tomatoes make the best sauce, but cooking them for 45 minutes actually minimizes the fresh taste. Keep in mind that those canned tomatoes are already cooked,
Here is what I do, that you might want to try.
Heat a pot over med. heat add about 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic and cook for a couple minutes, just until softened, but not browned.
Add 28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes; bring to a simmer and break them down with a potato masher, maintaining some texture.
Simmer the sauce for no more than 5-7 mins.. while slowly adding in about 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, bit by bit until emulsified.
That is it.
As the bff mentioned in the post I will have to try your new recipe! I do confess I did make the old whipping cream, butter, wine, cup of parmesan cheese pasta sauce back in the day. It would take me 3 days to recover from that meal,,, I had zero knowledge I was lactose intolerant, and wheat sensitive. I was poisoning myself with every bite! Thank you Sharon for creating easy recipes that taste amazing! You are awesome! xxoxo
YOU are awesome. <3 Thanks Julie!
Love this! I adore quinoa pasta as well, it really stands up and doesn’t get starchy. I am trying this tonight for the fam…you and I seem to be on the same cooking wavelength these days Sharon!
I could not get over how easy this was! And the aroma while it was cooking…too good:)
This recipe looks so easy to make! I wouldn’t have thought of putting butter in, but it usually does make everything taste better, so it’s worth a try!
I am a bit on the lazier side, so I can imagine myself not peeling the tomatoes, leaving the onion in, and using a hand blender to puree the sauce a bit.
I haven’t come across your quinoa pasta post until now, but it sounds delicious!I usually have some leftover plain quinoa in my fridge anyway, so it’d be so convenient for me to make.
The added nutritional benefits of the quinoa is a plus. I’ll try it with the 3 ingredient tomato sauce!
This sauce is a true winner! Too easy, too good:)